The Republican journal., 1887-01-13
Governor Bodwells Message.

i just Wlat IL was expected TO be. lie Is Il DuS-
ness man and his message is a business paper
in which the affairs Of the State are discussed
in a practical way, and in the fewest possible
words. Brief as the message is the demands
upon our space are such that we must be con-
tent with summary. covering all its points
and including all lis recommendations. Gov
Bodwell first recommends the reduction of the
State tax in the sum Of 1886 000 or about Sc per
cent. The State debt which exceeded eight mil
lions in 1Stis has by good management been
reduced TO s., .90, 349. which it is proposed to
refund in 30-year ) per cents. The public will
thus he relieved and the burdens distributed
over longer period. For the ultimate redemp-
ton of these new bonds it is recommended that
a sinking fund be established amounting to one
per cent. annually of the whole amount and if
is also suggested that the line of investments
for such sinking fund should not be so closely
restricted as heretofore. The Governor SAYS:
The suspension of the interest OH the State
bonds now held in the >inking-fund. together
with the suspension of the $4,000 annual con-
tribution to that fund and the termination of
the $4,000 for direct payment of State debt.
form the groundwork for the reduction of the
State tax, aS | have recommended With the
successful refuEding of the State debt and the
provision for new >inkng-fund of one per
cent. aS recommended. a further reduction of
the State tax may he confidently expected by
the next Legislature.
The State tax to be levied this year, will
amount to two and three-quarters mills Oh the
dollar of state valuation. or tWentv->eFen and
one-haf cents on each hundred dollars. One
mill of the two and three-quartcr> is not. how
ever, the ordinary State tax but is specially
levied for the school fund. and ,leducting this.
the state tax proper for the ensuing year will
be only one mill and three quarters. which is
the lowest rate of state tax for the support OF
the Government that has been levied within
the last fifty years. with the exception of the
tax levied respectively by the legislatures of
1S46 1860 and 1861. The reduction now recon-
mended relates to the State tax proper. and
whole amount levied.
In the same line are Governor Bohwell's rec
concentrations with regard to the cqualizing OF
tax burdens. He would have the valuation
taken once iii five years instead of once in ten,
and instead Of a board of commissioners
chosen one from each county he recommends a
smaller number representa-. the State rather
than the counties. and chosen for a longer
period. He alsa recommends that in ease of a
serious calamity. a. the Passport and Farming
ton fires. the Governor with the advice of the
Council be authorized to suspend the collection
of Il certain amount of the State tax in proper
ton to the loss incurred.
n .rJ To in. b.,
mcnds segregation Of the criminal insane. the
adoption of the cottage system at the Reform
school, woman'> rcformatorv and an appro-
priation to provide the State college with a
herd of cattle. The present establishment of
schools for the blind and deaf he does not con-
slider advisable. In referring to the complaint
concerning prison labor the Governor takes
the ground that It is of course necessary to
Keep the prisoners employed. but recommends
that if the present mode of working the
prisoners shall prove unfairly hurtful there
should be such division of the labor as to
make interference in any special direction too
small to be felt.
The board of health is commended and in
view of the large number of citizens OF other
states who come here Tor the summer season it
is urged that they should be given 1.-THE most
complete protection Of or laws and that We
should "provide such acts of liberal legislation
as may render their Stay agreeable and health
full" In this connection the faithful enforce
ment of our laws for the protection of fish and
game is recommended as otherwise we ">hall
ultimately have no fish i'll our waters and no
game in our forests and i, is also suggested
that an enquiry be made. whether the State
should not make some provision for the families
of the two men who lost their lives in he line
of their duty while enforcing the laws of The
state.
The attention of the Legislature is called IL
the necessity of a>ccrtainng the best mode OF
guarding our state against the introduction OF
the cattle disease. AMI favorable action is recon-
mended on the appropriation to be asked fol
by the state College to replace the herd OF
cattle destroyed to prevent the sprcadin. of an
infectious disease. The work of the State
college is commended and it is suggested thai
it could be made still more effective by increase,
means. Upon this point the Governor SAYS
Whatever the legislature can do TO aid anC
encourage the agricultural interests of the
State, should he cheertully and promptly done
The agricultural resources of Maine are very
great, and are as yet only partially developed
and whatever tends to make farming more
profitable is always worthy Of attention an,
encouragement. The Hatch bill. now bcfor,
Congress, for the establishment of experiment
al stations in different States. WILL if it become
law. enlarge the power of the Agricultural
college, and. TO a considerable extent. remove
the cost of its maintenance from the trca>ur,
of the State.
Of education the Governor says: .Ofci;t
reports concerning or educational progres
will be laid before YOU. Maine has alwav
maintained a high rank in the scale of ntelli
gence,-the degree of her iIlieracy, by th
census tables of the United States, being yer,
small 1t would, in fact. he difficult to find
native of Maine of adult wears and SCUM,
mind who cannot read and write. 1t is on
duty to maintain and still further advance on
educational standard. and am sure the Legs
lature will not neglect any needed action in thi
important field
III y stclll VI tHc Sldte. NOW organ
lied upon very economical scale. the Cover
nor thinks should be cheerfuly maintained
and that few wiser measures could be enacte,
by Congress than to unity the militia, give
a truly national character and create that spiri
of pride and emulation between the severa
States which would tend to make the Who'll
force one of patriotic usefulness, withou: in
volving any one of the many objections to
standing army. The Governor suggests that, i
approved by the Legislature, Congress b
memoralzed on the subject. Appropriate &C
ton is recommended to mark the achievement
of Maine soldiers at Gettysburg.
Of prohibition of the liquor traffic the GOV
ernor says:
The situation i'm the State respecting the Law
may be briefly and candidly stated. In froI
three-fourths to fOur-iifths of the towns of tn
State the law is well enforced and has pract
cally abolished the sale of spirituOus and NAL
liquors as beverage. In the larger cities an
towns, on the seaboard and at railway center.
it has been found more difficult to secure per
feet compliance with the law, but it can still b
said that at very few points in the State is liquo
openly sold. The offences against the law ar
in large part candestine, and therefore ditficu
to detect and expose by legal testimony. Bu
1t is great moral gain when the liquor seller
driven from the light of day to secret place
and to stealthy devices to carry Oh his hurtfl
and demoraiZing traffic. -.
Governor Bodwel agrees with the NOR